Total Makeovers for Three Deserving Women

Meet the winners of the Design Your Life Makeovers, whose strength and determination helped them face life's greatest changes.

Sep 15, 2009

Gina Levay/Redux

Meet the three winners of our Design Your Life Makeovers in partnership with Silpada Designs. They bravely shared with us their stories and struggles, and we rewarded them with guidance from life coach Laura Berman Fortgang, author of The Little Book on Meaning, plus a fresh fashion and beauty outlook courtesy of Matrix Salons, makeup artist Laura Geller, and REDBOOK fashion director Audrey Slater — all to help them begin their next life chapter with renewed purpose and joy.

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Gina Levay/Redux

Marcy Emmons, 31

Moving Beyond Breast Cancer
"My world turned around when I was diagnosed with breast cancer last year. I'd been married for three years, was a mom to my 2-year-old daughter Sophia, and had just given birth to my daughter Ada. When I felt a lump, I assumed it was hormone-related and wasn't too worried. After all, I was 30 with no family history. It never occurred to me it could be cancer. But it was.

"In the past year, I've endured chemo, a mastectomy, radiation, and more chemo. Now I'm cancer-free and a survivor. I feel like a different person than I was before. I want to share my experience with the world.

"During the treatment, my husband, Micah, and I couldn't find much guidance for couples going through what we were — battling cancer as a young family. Now, we want to write our own book to let couples know what it's like. For a long time we resisted sitting down and writing, because it brought up so many of the feelings we had when I was diagnosed. And with jobs and two young girls, we're not sure how we'll find the time to put our thoughts on paper. But this project feels very important to us."

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Gina Levay/Redux

Marcy Emmons, 31

Laura's Advice: Drill down to your true mission.
"I encouraged Marcy and Micah to ask themselves what they wanted to accomplish with the book. They weren't thinking about fortune or fame; they simply wanted the book to be available to those who needed it. So they realized self-publishing was the most effective road to take."

Share your strength. "Marcy's choice to write the book she and her husband wished had been available to them is a very evolved way to deal with adversity. Once we're past immediate trauma and can focus on living again — instead of the threat of dying — using our experience to help others can be very healing."

See yourself as a survivor, not a victim. "We have two choices when we get ill: We can either cling to suffering by asking why it happened, or we can embrace the gift of life. Marcy has chosen to live fully and give back. It'll be painful to relive the hard parts of what she's been through, but she can temper that by looking forward to her future with her family."

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Karen Pearson

Marcy Emmons, 31

Marcy's New Outlook
"Laura clarified our goals by having Micah and me discuss the details and timeline of the project. We've been writing each week, and we sit down on Sunday nights to discuss our progress. One side benefit is that when we read through each other's writing, we're able to talk about how the cancer affected us. Micah didn't really open up to me when we were going through the cancer, but now we're able to talk through some of the feelings we had at the time. We're excited about the process and hope that our book makes it into the hands of at least one person who needs it!"

Marcy's Makeover
"A lot of women who are growing their hair back after chemo are nervous about color or any kind of chemical process, but the new growth isn't any weaker than normal hair. Marcy put herself in my hands, and I chose a wine-y red color that's not too intense but will make her eyes really pop." —Sam Lavella, Matrix artistic designer

Changing Gears, Finding Balance
"Ten years ago I moved from Ghana, Africa, to the United States to pursue my dream of studying chemistry. I received my Ph.D. and landed an amazing research position at Indiana University, investigating potential treatments for HIV. I'm passionate about my research, but the more energy I spend in the lab, the less I have for my own life, and the less time I have to spend with Mario, my boyfriend of three years. For instance, he and I would often cook together, but after a 12-hour day in the lab, it's been mostly food on the run for me for the past year. I'm finally done with my studies, so I'm ready to put the focus back on me. I want to find a skin-care regimen, clothes I love, and turn 30 living a life that's a lot less stressful and a lot more fun. I have a tendency to get overwhelmed by work, and I want to find a healthier balance between my research and my personal life."

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Gina Levay/Redux

Stella Aniagyei, 29

Laura's Advice: Make daily mini goals.
"We established a list of simple daily actions Stella could take toward feeling healthier, such as drinking more water, walking every day, and avoiding eating on the run."

Create new nutrition traditions. "When Stella told me about her lack of energy and confusion over healthy eating, I had her make a food log. She wasn't eating breakfast, was choosing fast food, and was often eating a heavy meal for lunch — growing up in Ghana, her biggest meal of the day was always lunch. She agreed to eat something in the morning and lighten up her lunch to see if it made a difference in her cravings for sweets later in the day."

Set work boundaries. "Stella doesn't have specific hours at the lab and often comes in at night and on weekends. But our bodies are wired to perform and rest. I encouraged Stella to think of a 'treat' for each day — a long bike ride or dinner with Mario — and schedule the rest of the day around it, making sure she leaves the lab at the time she planned."

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Karen Pearson

Stella Aniagyei, 29

Stella's New Outlook
"I knew I needed to find a healthier balance between work and my personal life, but I wasn't sure where to start. Speaking with Laura helped me get feedback on my lifestyle concerns. Keeping a food journal really made me aware of my eating patterns and helped me see how I could make improvements by swapping out my unhealthy snacks for healthier choices. I'm now spending more time with Mario, eating better, trying to be more active than I've been in years, and I'm making a daily schedule to try to maintain the balance and make my overall life a priority."

Stella's Makeover
"Stella wasn't sure how to transition her look for the working world. She has an amazing body that she should show off with skirts. The one we chose has a grown-up, businesslike silhouette, but when paired with a silver top, it becomes fabulous!" —Audrey Slater, REDBOOK fashion director

Rebuilding After a Tragic Loss
"Last spring, my only child, Meghan, was killed in a car accident after she left the college class I was teaching. She was only 18. It was so devastating that it shook my entire belief system to the core. I haven't even brought myself to go through Meghan's things yet. My marriage was not strong enough to withstand the tragedy, and my husband and I divorced a few months later. My blessing is my amazing group of girlfriends — we call ourselves the Oracles because we all speak the truth to one another. Their wisdom guides me through my life, but I still know I need to find peace within myself. I always taught Meghan to live each day to its fullest, and I know I want to follow that piece of advice for myself. Right now, though, I'm on a bit of a murky path. Other than my friends, I'm my only caregiver. The whole idea of entering the dating scene again is terrifying. I want to be sure that I'm keeping myself healthy. More than anything, I just need to find the clarity that will bring me to the next stage in my life."

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Gina Levay/Redux

Brenda Eppley, 44

Laura's Advice: Find a support system.
"The love and support of amazing friends is what anyone who is rebuilding her life after tragedy needs, and Brenda is fortunate to have that. Often, people want to help but aren't sure how. Articulate what you need to others, whether you want them to listen, to share memories, or to just be with you."

Consider finding a spiritual community. "Even those who aren't committed to a faith can find comfort in a spiritual setting, like a church, a meditation center, or a yoga retreat. Spiritual communities can help you be kinder to yourself, find compassion, and seek meaning in spite of the loss. It's okay to walk out if you feel uncomfortable; just stay open to what you might hear, and know you'll know when it feels 'right.'"

Celebrate memories. "Many grieving people fear that if they move or let go of belongings, they are letting go of the person. That doesn't have to be. As you sort through your loved one's space, write about who you've become because that person was in your life. Your memories are pieces of them you will always carry."

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Karen Pearson

Brenda Eppley, 44

Brenda's New Outlook
"It wasn't easy for me to enter this contest, because I had to think back on memories from the past year. Now I'm so thankful for speaking with Laura. She's been amazing in helping me sift through my goals when I'm at such an odd place in my life. Laura helped me uncover avenues to get toward my ultimate goal of finding peace. I haven't been in Meghan's room since the tragedy, and one of my goals is to go in and look at her things. Another goal is to seek spiritual strength, and I'm checking out a few churches in my area. But mostly, I realized that I can't worry about next week or next year — I just need to focus on the present."

Brenda's Makeover
"Brenda's priority is to look like herself, not like someone else. So we really focused on giving her a look that's glamorous but natural, and used foundation and blush to sculpt and shape her face." —Laura Geller, makeup artist

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